Podgorica, (MINA) – All judgments of the European Court of Human Rights establishing violations of human rights and freedoms are beneficial to Montenegro, because they help the state to address its weaknesses and develop its legal system in the interests of the citizens, Minister of Justice Zoran Pazin has stated.
An analysis of the enforcement of all the ECHR judgments delivered in relation to Montenegro was presented at a conference in Podgorica on Friday.
Pazin remarked that a broad social consensus in Montenegro with regard to the respect of human rights and freedoms is a necessary precondition for Montenegro’s European perspective.
“The values of the Council of Europe, such as true democracy, human rights and freedoms and the rule of law, are manifestations of the shared European identity of 47 member states of the Council of Europe. The European Court of Human rights, which is also called the conscience of Europe, is providing the legal fabric for the European identity,” the Justice Minister stated.
He recalled that in the past nine and a half years the European Court of Human Rights has delivered 36 judgments in relation to Montenegro, which he described as the real treasury of knowledge which will pave the way for the development of Montenegro’s legal system.
According to him, all of the judgments that established violations of human rights and freedoms benefit Montenegro.
“They help us to recognize our own weaknesses within our legal system, to eliminate those weaknesses and to develop our legal system in the interests of our citizens,” Pazin stated.
Supreme Court President Vesna Medenica noted that the Analysis presented at the conference offers a compendium of ECHR judgments in relation to Montenegro and to identify the weakness of the national legal system and point to their influence on the domestic judicial practice.
“Since understanding the principles enshrined in the Convention poses a special challenge for legal practitioners, the Analysis is a sort of a handbook that will contribute to further training of judgments and improvement of judicial practice in Montenegro,” Medenica said.
She remarked that challenges in implementing European legal standards exist, adding however that the Montenegrin judiciary is determined to fully implement them.
UK Deputy Ambassador to Montenegro Gavin Vessey said that the rule of law is rightly positioned at the center of Montenegro’s reform agenda.
He explained that the UK-funded project of supporting Montenegro’s judicial system seeks to advance two key goals, including the raising of public trust in the legal system and promoting equality before the law.Longer version of article is available on a link MINA ENGLISH SERVIS
